Park Superintendent

Natural Resources; Alaska; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Natural Resources, Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation, seeks a Park Superintendent to oversee Alaska State Parks in the Mat-Su Region, including Nancy Lake and Denali State Park. The role requires coordinating with agencies, partners, and the public to ensure safe, accessible recreation while protecting resources.

The position emphasizes leadership, budgeting, and long-term planning for park operations across multiple units in a dynamic Alaskan environment.

Qualifications

• Possess a valid driver’s license.
• Any combination of education and/or experience providing competencies in administration, management, budgeting, and staff oversight.
• Experience in government or large-scale park operations is desirable.
• Ability to collaborate with agencies, partners, and the public to implement park plans.

Responsibilities

• Oversee management and operation of Alaska State Parks within the Mat-Su Region, including multiple units.
• Supervise regional staff, manage budgets, and coordinate maintenance and development projects.
• Develop and implement park management plans, policies, and resource protection strategies.
• Advise division leadership on regional issues and contribute to long-term planning.

Skills

Public planning

Administration & management

Human capital management

Parks & recreation management

Partnering

Planning & evaluating

Job description

Job Description

The Department of Natural Resources, Division of

Parks & Outdoor Recreation,

is recruiting for a

Park Superintendent in Finger Lake.

This position is open to Alaska Residents only.

Please check our

residency definition

to determine if you qualify.

What You Will Be Doing:

The Mat-Su Region Superintendent oversees the management and operation of Alaska State Parks within the Matanuska-Susitna Region, including major units such as Nancy Lake State Recreation Area, Independence Mine State Historical Park, and Denali State Park. The position supervises regional staff and ensures safe, efficient park operations while managing budgets, personnel actions, and maintenance and development projects across multiple park units. The superintendent works with state and local agencies, partner organizations, and the public to address park access, land management, and recreation issues while implementing park management plans and policies. The position evaluates natural and cultural resource conditions and develops strategies to protect resources while supporting public recreation opportunities. This role also advises division leadership on regional issues, prepares reports and recommendations, and helps guide long-term planning and decision-making for the Alaska State Parks system in the Mat-Su region.

Mission and Values/Culture:

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages Alaska’s natural resources for the maximum benefit of Alaska's people, ensuring responsible stewardship for current and future generations. Within DNR, the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation (DPOR) protects and manages Alaska’s state parks while providing high-quality outdoor recreation opportunities and preserving natural, cultural, and historic resources. The Field Operations section carries out this mission by maintaining park facilities, protecting park resources, ensuring visitor safety, and delivering consistent services across Alaska’s diverse and often remote park units. Our culture emphasizes public service, stewardship of public lands, teamwork, professionalism, and accountability in the management of Alaska’s state park system. Staff work collaboratively with communities, partner agencies, and stakeholders to ensure parks remain accessible, well-managed, and sustainable for all Alaskans and visitors.

Benefits of Joining Our Team:

Working in Alaska State Parks Field Operations provides the opportunity to contribute directly to the stewardship and management of some of Alaska’s most iconic public lands. Employees play a meaningful role in protecting natural and cultural resources while ensuring safe, high-quality outdoor recreation opportunities for residents and visitors. Team members gain valuable experience in public land management, leadership, and collaboration with local communities, partner agencies, and stakeholders across the state. The position offers opportunities for professional growth, training, and career advancement within the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation and the Department of Natural Resources. Employees also benefit from the rewards of public service, working with a dedicated team committed to protecting Alaska’s parks and maintaining access to outdoor recreation for future generations.

The Working Environment You Can Expect:

This position is based in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, a rapidly growing region known for its strong communities, expansive outdoor recreation opportunities, and close proximity to Anchorage and Denali. The work environment includes a combination of office-based administrative and planning work along with regular field visits to Alaska State Park units throughout the region, including sites such as Hatcher Pass, Nancy Lake, and the Susitna Basin. The position requires periodic vehicle travel and occasional off-site meetings to inspect park facilities, coordinate with staff and partners, and support park operations across the Mat-Su Region.

We are looking for a candidate who possesses the following position-specific competencies.

Self-Management: Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.

Supervision: Plans, distributes, and monitors work assignments; sets task priorities; evaluates work performance and provides feedback to others on their performance; ensures that staff are appropriately selected, utilized, and developed, and that they are treated fairly and equitably. Assignments include the authority and responsibility to recommend or independently take action to employ (i.e., appoint, transfer, promote), discipline or discharge, or adjudicate grievances of direct reports.

Public Planning: Knowledge of functions, principles, methods, and techniques of public planning, including those related to community planning, outdoor recreation planning, and natural resource management, such as demand forecasting, environmental impact analysis, financial forecasting, and land use planning and zoning.

Minimum Qualifications

Possess a valid driver’s license.

AND

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in:

Administration and Management

: Knowledge of planning, coordination, and execution of business functions, resource allocation, and production.

Human Capital Management:

Builds and manages workforce based on organizational goals, budget considerations, and staffing needs. Ensures that employees are appropriately recruited, selected, appraised, and rewarded; takes action to address performance problems. Manages a multi-sector workforce and a variety of work situations.

Parks and Recreation Management:

Knowledge of the principles, practices, and theories of parks and recreation management related to preserving, enhancing, maintaining, and protecting natural, historical, and cultural resources within park lands while considering the safety and welfare of park visitors.

Partnering:

Develops networks and builds alliances; collaborates across boundaries to build strategic relationships and achieve common goals.

Planning and Evaluating:

Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.

Equivalent to those typically gained by:

Any combination of progressively responsible professional experience managing a region and/or unit’s budget, administering programs, and/or prioritizing and allocating funds; progressively responsible professional experience in government

Competency Description

The competency description(s) listed below have been designed to promote a common understanding of the essential elements of the job class. They highlight the more general and customary knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), tasks, and behaviors used to describe the competency. They typically list expectations instead of specific tasks and are only used as parameters and guidelines. A competency’s description is not intended to exclusively define every KSA, task, and behavior needed to meet the competency successfully, but rather to provide the manager/agency with a broad reference of options for how an applicant can meet the job expectation.